When I thought about where to go next, there were a few things I contemplated. What do I want to be doing next month? I’d be traveling alone so I asked myself, where do I know people around the world? I started talking to a couple old friends on the internet and all things pointed to one place, Barcelona. I had lived in Madrid a few years ago, I loved Spain, will always love Spain. I had only been to Barcelona a few times and when my old landlord from Madrid said he was in Barcelona and an old friend from my past said the same thing, it took me about two minutes to confirm, I was going to be going to Barcelona next week.
I packed up my backpack, parked my car in a safe place and hopped on the plane. My old friend who I hadn’t seen in eight years was going to pick me up at the airport when I landed. That random connection pretty much sums up my life. Random meetings with new and old friends, spur of the moment decisions, no planning ever. Things were going to work out, they always did.
My friend picked me up at the airport and we went straight back to his place. A huge apartment in the Gothic Quarter shared between six twenty-something year olds from all over the world. One guy from Britain, two guys from the US, a girl from Australia and another from the Netherlands. Great location, even better company. I was going to let the next two weeks play out however they were supposed to. Little did I know this would turn into meeting so many great new friends, eating shrimp brains, and falling in love with a city I had already been to before and thought I knew.
I spent the next weeks roaming around Barcelona, exploring every nook and cranny of this city. I had no idea there were so many different neighborhoods. I spent my days going to the beach, lounging in the beautiful Parc de Ciutadella in the neighborhood of El Born, drinking wine, eating steak and tapas, and hanging out with new friends and all of these interesting new people. It was the life.
The neighborhood I spent most of my time in was the famous Barri Gotico, the Gothic Quarter. No wonder this neighborhood is the most frequented by travelers, it’s so cool. The buildings vary between remnants from the old Roman times and modern new-age style trendy spaces. The streets are narrow and wind in and out, making you feel like sometimes you’re lost in a maze. The Gothic Quarter has a way of giving off a vibe like you’ve just stepped back in time. The tight streets leave little room for the sun to shine through or for any cars, making walking the main means of transportation. Without all the sun, and these super narrow winding streets sometimes the Gothic Quarter felt a little dark and mysterious. I loved it.
The Gothic Quarter is in the center of everything in Barcelona. Blocks from the beach and famous La Rambla Street, surrounded by interesting history and numerous famous churches, and filled with shopping, picturesque plazas and mouth-watering tapas bars. This area quickly started to feel like my little home away from home.
Some days we would wonder to my favorite plaza, Plaza Real. It’s located in the heart of the Gothic Quarter. At any time of the day you can find tourists soaking in the sun enjoying a cold glass of wine watching the beauty unfold around them. The plaza is surrounded with restaurants, entertainers, palm trees, and a lovely fountain right in the center. When the sun shines it makes this plaza appear as if it’s almost sparkling.
A few blocks north is the famous Barcelona Cathedral, La Seu Cathedral. I passed this church plenty of times during my time here. The inside is filled with gold ceilings and murals. The courtyard connected to the cathedral is my favorite.
Full of lush greenery, flowers, fountains and geese! Right behind the church is MUHBA, The Museu d’Historia de la Ciutat at the Placa del Rei also known as the roman ruins under Barcelona. If you’re lucky in the middle of the ruins you might even catch a band playing. One Sunday night on a blurry walk home from the bars we heard music coming from MUHBA. We sat on the stairs and listened to this folk style band playing, all while sitting in the middle of all of this history. It was the perfect way to continue a night of endless drinking.
The food in Barcelona pretty much stole my heart. Two places I couldn’t live without during my stay, Bar El Tropezon and La Malandrina Uruguayan Steak House. Bar El Tropezon is a tiny little secret tapas place located right in the Gothic Quarter. It has the feel of a tiny little restaurant turned jam-packed historic tree house. The atmosphere can’t be beat! Wooden booths situated so closely together you can hear your neighbor’s conversations, old tables with engravings all over them, a winding narrow staircase, and authentic tapas! We ordered a bottle of the vino de casa, tomato toast, grilled mushrooms, bombas, and garlic shrimp! Bar El Tropezon just felt like the real deal inside and out. The look of the place, the feel of the place and the taste of the food, it was too good to be true!
Then there’s La Malandrina…there’s no way to describe the food at this place; it’s just that good. We went to this steakhouse so many times they knew our order by the end of it. We always ordered the same thing, the sirloin steak with creamy potatoes. The first time my new friends took me here I was moaning and groaning with every last bite. This place quickly became my new obsession! Perfectly cooked huge cuts of steak, savory creamy potatoes that melt in your mouth and a bottle of wine for around ten euros, yup, it’s the shit.
Lastly but certainly not least, let’s not forget the world famous Barceloneta Beach. I spent plenty of time sun tanning and drinking beers here. Not having a plan or a checklist of places to see was the best part about this impromptu trip to Barcelona. If we felt like it, we’d go to the beach. Since the Gothic Quarter is literally blocks from the water this was almost a daily occurrence. Sunshine, beautiful people, contagious energy, what’s not to love?
After two weeks in Barcelona, with no plans, no itinerary and literally not knowing anyone, I’m confident in saying it was one of the best travel experiences of my life. The city is filled with culture, interesting people, astonishing old architecture and so much history. It completely won me over. People may think I’m crazy, but picking up and going somewhere on a whim is the perfect recipe for a trip of a lifetime.
You make me miss Barcelona. I absolutely love the Gothic Quarter and often wish to open up a spiritual shop there 🙂